Bloodtail: The First Devil Trigger
by Dark Side of the World
Summary: The Prequel to the first Bloodtail fanfic. Having completed his training, the young demon hunter Bloodtail must now prepare for his first true challenge. A tournament hosted by a dark artifact seller who is planning something big. He will have to face rivals, demons, and even love in his quest to complete is first real mission and gain true power.
1. City of Demons and Hunters

I'm back. Yes, after months of waiting the next saga of the Bloodtail Trilogy is here. This is prequel of the series, not the sequel so you're still going to have to wait to see Tails return from his training trip.

If you've never seen the first fic, just head over to my account and you'll find it there. Please be warned that it starts off bad since I was struggling to be a writer back then, but it does get better and I have also gotten better now that I'm older (I started it like four or five years ago I think).

Now this story takes three years after Tail's execution, a few months after demons started appearing again, and a few years before Tails meets Amy and the rest again when he returns to Mobius. Expect to have some answers that have been around in the story for a while answered here. Such as Tail's first love, the origin of the double barrel shotgun, his hatred for Balthazar, and how his reputation got started.

Maybe you'll even find some secrets to A.R.C.A.N.O. as well.

Enough talk though, you've waited too long for this story and now let the fun begin.

* * *

"_I do not wish to hide my origins, nor do I seek to make it a subject of conversation. I am what I am."_

_-Ryan Giggs_

* * *

Neo York City, the greatest city in the world.

After the Xorda wars, the original great apple had been reduced to a giant pile of rubble with barely any of the old boroughs still standing. One of the first acts of the new government was to restore the most famous city to its former glory. In record time, it regained the prestige and power it once held, becoming bigger and grander than ever.

In honor of its past, the five boroughs still remained and hadn't changed much. Manhattan was still richville, with all the high class citizens looking down upon the small and weak. Brooklyn was still home of the immigrants and gangs. Housing in Staten Island was like trying to get through Fort Knox – impossible, to put it bluntly. And Queens was still the same shithole it always had been. The only one of the five that had changed considerably was the Bronx, now known as Demon's District. Mostly because it housed nearly all the demons and half-demons of Neo Y.C.

Not as big a population as Chinatown, but close.

Crime in the Bronx was higher than it ever had been, the police assigned there forced to work twenty-four seven with minimal amounts of rest. It wasn't exactly an ideal neighborhood to hang out in, so when its inhabitants saw a teenager red mobian fox walking around town like he owned the place, he obviously caught a few eyes.

He had blood red fur and a white stomach. A large red tail with a black tip brought attention to his rear, very attractive to the eye of some female mobians, but he paid little attention to them, his sky blue eyes focused on the path ahead. His hair was a bit wild and downward, covering the tops of his eyes.

But what he wore is what caught their attention the most.

Unlike some of his species, who left clothes out of their lives thanks to their ability to hide their private parts, this one was completely covered in clothing: a red trench coat with many pockets and zippers, worn loose around his body, showing his muscled abs for all to see; black cargo pants and combat boots to cover his lover half; black fingerless gloves completed the ensemble.

The stranger suddenly turned from the main street he walked on into a dark alley, in the direction of a human hobo wrapped in a blanket, huddling next to a burning trash can. "Isn't that illegal?" he whispered.

"Is your mom a whore?" asked the tramp, focusing on his fire.

"Not as much as my dad."

The bum smiled. "You're late. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

"Whatever. So are you sure the bar across the street is the one?"

"Definitely, I've seen people go in. No one comes out. That's the one for sure." After a small pause, the man asked, "Now about my pay?"

The mobian nodded and took out a wad of bills from his coat pocket. He tossed it to the man, who took it with glee.

"Thanks. I'm gonna have some fun with this."

The fox raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. He knew what the other meant by 'fun': hard drinks and cheap whores, maybe with a drug or two to top it off. "Why not use that money to help yourself, you know, get out of the gutter and live a decent life?"

"I've got cancer, kid. I'm fucked either way, so I might as well enjoy what little I can get."

The hobo limped away, leaving the fox to shake his head at the sad sight. When he was done pitying the man, he went back the way he came and crossed the street to a rundown bar that had seen better days, the sign reading "Black Dagger" a cold welcome with its lights off. With a sigh, he pushed the door open.

The moment he entered the building, the fox smirked. He could already smell the blood and guts the owner, either due to laziness or incompetence, failed to wash away. Scanning around the area, he saw only fifteen or so patrons drinking away without a care, two of them playing pool with marijuana joints dangling from their mouths.

All thirteen looked human, but he knew better.

The wooden floor creaked as he made his way to the bar stand, where the bartender, a balding man with a cared for mustache, was serving a beer to one of the locals. He sat on one of the stools and waited for the bartender to walk over, cleaning a mug.

"Aren't you a bit young to be drinking, fox boy?"

"Just a glass, please. I brought my own drink."

The bartender didn't respond, but obeyed nonetheless. "Ya got a name?"

Reaching into his jacket, the teenager pulled out a canteen and poured water into the glass. "Siles Drowler," he said after a sip

"Siles, huh? Odd name." The bartender turned his back and went about checking his bottles. "What's a kid like you doing in a place like this?"

"I'm just interested in looking into strange events," answered Siles, finishing his glass of water. He refilled it to the brim and tossed his canteen into a nearby trash can, an action a few of the patrons eyed him for, but went back to their glasses seconds later. "I guess you can say I'm kind of an investigator."

The bartender stood still. "What are you investigating?"

"Oh, nothing much," said Siles, scratching his head. "Just some disappearances that appear to be happening at your bar."

The entire bar went silent. The pool game came to a halt and the patrons put their drinks aside, sitting like statues. Siles smirked: they were like kids with their hands in the cookie jar. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

The patron next to him grabbed his shoulder, and turned him around. Siles winced from the smell of alcohol from the man's breath. "Dude, get a breath mint."

The drunk gave him a grin, showing a set of pointy teeth. "We don't take kindly to people just waltzing up here and accusing us of murder."

In a split second, the barrel of a customized black Colt 1911 was right in his face. Siles smirked. "I never said anything about murder."

He pulled the trigger.

The bullet knocked the half demon's limp body right off his stool and into a jukebox. All the patrons stood up as Siles drew his other 1911. With no reason to maintain cover, their gums became filled with razor sharp fangs as claws erupted form their hands. They hissed menacingly at the intruder, their eyes glowing a pale red.

Everything and everyone stood still for a good while, until the jukebox started playing.

(Now Playing: Crash, Artist: Fit for Rivals)

The bartender behind Siles started it off in an effort to slice him with his claws, but his target managed to duck, following the evasion with a kick in his face that smashed him into his wine bottles, covering his back with shards of broken glass.

Siles quickly took his drink and threw it at the demonic bartender's face. Immediately, he began to hiss and write as his face began to melt. "H-holy… w-water…" he choked out with the last of his speech capability before his skin and muscles dissipated completely, leaving his skull by itself on top of his shoulders.

His remaining comrades all roared and charged for Siles, who, to their surprise, charged back. He flipped over the now stumbling mob, stomping on one's head and using the demon's shoulders as a springboard. In a fluid movement, he landed, turned around and started firing at the crowd. However, as Siles readied himself for the next charge, the bullet holes in their bodies closed up in fractions of a second.

_**I told you, aim for the head. These guys heal too quickly to waste ammo, **_said a demonic voice in the fox's head.

_What ammo? These bullets are made from pure demonic energy! I can shoot as much as I want! _Siles thought back as he dodged another swipe for his throat.

_**You know exactly what I mean.**_

Siles flipped back onto a table and kicked two mugs full of beer into two of the demons' faces, shooting their legs in their moment of distraction, forcing them to their knees. At the end of a forward jump, he placed his guns on their necks and pulled the triggers.

Before he could move, one of the demons managed to trap him in a full nelson and lifted his scrawny body up in the air. Another one grinned evilly and shot his claw forward, sticking its fingers right into his chest.

The demon looked at his victim's face, his grin fading at the sight. Instead of horror and pain, he saw a bored expression. "Surprised?"

His leg shot forward like a spring, hitting the demon in face and sending it sprawling back, even as the mobian threw his heel back into the shin of the one holding him. The arm over his shoulder was pulled into a throw that sent his opponent down, and Siles wasted no time getting on its back. He pushed forward, his unnatural strength making the screaming body sail across the floor like a spinning skateboard.

The fox whooped and cried as he rode the demon, firing in random directions. Most of the demons managed to avoid the crazy riding fox and his shots as he smashed through table and chair alike, but three unfortunate ones got hit in their heads by the flying lead.

Siles steered the demon towards the pool table, making it into a ramp by shooting its front legs off. The demon shrieked in fear as its rider jumped off at the last second, sending the demon in an arc before it broke its neck against the wall.

Siles landed on the raised side, kicking the table and the balls on it up into the air. He waited, gun raised, until the black eight ball was in his sights. The shot that hit the ball sent it into another which, in turn, ricocheted into another, creating a chain reaction that turned them into the equivalent of giant buckshot pellets. The wild pool balls shot towards the remaining demons, finding their marks in stomachs, legs and heads. Those unfortunate with the last one fell dead on their backs.

_Three more to go,_ Siles thought as he observed the recovering demons. He focused his energy into his guns. With the weapons in his hands glowing and crackling with red lightning, he waited for two of them to rush, and when they did, he bent backwards, evading the decapitating and chest-crippling slashes. As soon as they sailed past, he stood upright and fired over his shoulders. The splatter of bone mixed with brain hitting the floor was confirmation that he had them square in their heads, as he expected.

The last remaining one fell to on his back, fear in his eyes as the mobian stepped closer. "Please! Mercy!"

The only answer was three shots in each arm, each bullet followed by a shriek.

"Who are you?!"

A smile curved Siles' lips. "I'm Bloodtail, the demon hunter. Not that you're gonna live to remember that."

He pulled the trigger.

(Music ends)

* * *

_**(The Music of Welcome Home ByCoheed and Cambria plays)**_

…_**Dark Side of the World Presents…**_

… _**A Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic…**_

…_**crossed over with material from Devil May Cry….**_

…_**as well as information of Demonology and Angelology….**_

_**...edited by REV6Pilot...**_

_**BLOODTAIL: THE FIRST DEVIL TRIGGER**_

_**Disclaimer: The author owns nothing that is not his….**_

_**(Music ends)**_

* * *

His job completed, a bored Siles made his way through the streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The night wind picked up trash from the streets and blew it all around him, the occasional paper bag getting caught in his shin. He didn't mind, distracted eyeing the walls of business stores, all "decorated" with the city's most common scars. The fox shook his head at the graffiti of gang symbols, swear words, badly-done drawings and other nonsense. The poor people's outcry against the government and the higher classes wasn't a problem that was his to solve.

He was about to turn the corner when he noticed a hooded human, barely taller than him, spray tagging a new store's wall. Siles softly walked up to him and tagged his shoulder, chuckling at the silent frightened jump of his prey.

The boy turned around, frightened at first, but relaxed when he saw who it was. "_Cavolo_, Siles, don't sneak up on a guy like that! I thought ya was _policia _or somethin'!"

Siles chuckled louder. "Afraid of having your mother belt you for getting another twelve eighty-five, Alberto?"

"_Minchia,_ my mother can be such a…" Alberto shook his head. He noticed the blood on Siles's clothes and smirked. "Ah, I see, _fratello_. You kicked some demon ass, am I right?"

"Just a simple bar fight, nothing much," shrugged Siles. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill. "So, anything on the street?"

Alberto nodded, snatching the bill out of Siles' hand. "Yeah, got rumors that some _abiti_, guys in suits, have been looking for somebody. They say they're from OASIS, which is weird cause not many _demone_ live in Brooklyn, _sai_?"

The smile on Siles' face disappeared. _This is interesting… _"Thanks for the heads up, Alberto. I suggest you head home before your mom realizes you snuck out again."

His little friend nodded before taking off, vanishing into the streets like a shadow. Siles sighed as he continued down his path to a set of rundown apartments.

He made it to the front door, where a small computer keyboard sat on the wall, and typed in his code. After a second of processing, a synthesized voice asked, "_Voice ID required._"

"Siles Drowler."

The computer beeped a few more times before a positive green light was shown. "_Welcome back, Mr. Drowler. Your next rent is in two weeks."_

A quiet buzzing sound rang before the door clicked, allowing him to open it. He marched in and made his way up the staircase. _So now that I wasted my time on a pointless small time bounty, when are we going to get to the real hardcore stuff, Sparda?_

_**Relax, kit. You've only just started. It's been three months since I trained you. You'll get a big shot, you just need to start small, **_said the demon knight.

Siles snorted. _Yeah, I may be a half demon now, but that doesn't mean I'll wait forever. Haven't I proven myself already? _

He made it to the final floor when he walked over to his room, taking out his keycard.

_**Don't worry. I'm sure your chance will come… Why, it might even be right now. **_

_What makes you say that? _

To Siles' surprise as he opened the door, there was a blond man in a blue suit sitting on his dining room table, calm and collected as he drank a mug of coffee in his hands. The two stared at each other, neither moving, until a few minutes later, Siles closed the door and made his way to the kitchen. He walked back to the dining room with a cold soda in his hand and sat across the intruder. The two drank from their respective beverages, the stalemate up again. This time, it was the man who broke it as he cleared his throat. "You look quite calm for a guy who just realized his house was broken into."

"And you seem to have some balls for doing just that," replied Siles. He eyed the suited man. "Mind telling me why I shouldn't shoot you first and tell the cops I was legally defending my home from invasion?"

The man smirked, before reaching into his suit. Siles tensed up, ready to reach for his guns, but pulled away when the man showed a wallet and flipped it open. "Agent Nicholas Cox, OASIS Special Intelligence Division."

Siles eyed the room. "SID, huh?" Chances were his, entire apartment was bugged and a special squad was waiting next door, ready to get in guns blazing should things turn ugly. "And what does the big, bad secret agent want with a mobian refugee in his teens?"

"Well, first I want to congratulate you on handing those demons at the bar. Quite a riot." Agent Cox smirked behind another sip of his coffee. He saw the glare in Siles' eyes and waved his hand. "Relax, Mr. Drowler. We've been keeping an eye on you since long before that."

"That's not very reassuring," muttered Siles, glancing at his windows.

"Thinking of running away?" the agent asked, taking the home's owner by surprise. "You may be a half-demon, and not a bad hunter for an FNG in the business, but I've handled worse than you before in all aspects."

_**Settle down, kit. Let's hear what he has to say first.**_

Taking a deep breath, Siles drained his soda to calm his nerves. He knew he would have to expect a visit from the organization that controlled, monitored and eliminated all demon-related cases sooner or later. Just not right now.

Agent Cox leaned forward, his face turning serious. "Mr. Drowler. I mean it when I say that I am not here to harm you, but to offer you a job."

Siles raised an eyebrow. "Why would you offer me, a fresh demon hunter, when you have plenty of other guys with more power and experience a phone call away?"

Smirking, Agent Cox whispered, "Because not all demon hunters have a certain… _knightly _aura like you do."

Although he didn't show it, Siles was now panicking. Sparda, to his credit, chuckled at the thought. _**Relax, kit. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Guess I'm just too famous for my own good.**_

Ignoring his tenant's boasting, the fox sighed and shook his head. "How about we quit the cloak and dagger bullshit and come out full circle? You know what I'm carrying, so that mean you also know who I really am, right?"

This time Agent Cox looked at him with sympathy, confirming Siles' suspicion.

"Great. Who else knows?"

"Nobody from Mobius, if that's what you're implying. In fact, you can count the amount of people that know of you in one hand, even inside OASIS. After all, if it turns out you're alive and living here, the Mobian government might call for your head again."

Siles' eyes turned red and a bit of killing intent leered off him, the combined effects making Agent Cox sweat from the pressure. "Let them try. I'll give them exactly what they gave to me three years ago," he answered with a growl.

Wiping his forehead, Agent Cox nodded. "Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did, although it's in our best interests to keep your… betrayers, alive at the moment."

"Whatever." Huffing, Siles retracted his aura and shook his head. "So what's the job and why do you need _me_ to do it?"

The man reached into his suit again and brought out a PDA. Taking it, Siles touched the screen, revealing the picture of a slimy, long haired Asian man dressed like a corporate executive, sneering at the lens like a weasel, a glimmer of madness in his eyes. "That's Takeda Genda, owner of Genda Trading, the king of trade across the Pacific," said Agent Cox. "But as you're probably suspecting right now, that's just the rug on top of the dirt."

Siles clicked the screen again, and a series of reports and rumors of Takeda's shady dealings popped up on the screen. According to the information he glanced at, he was suspected over the last ten years for exporting and importing various demonic and dark artifacts across several countries, using his company's ships to get in and out of places he couldn't go and get the artifacts off the radar, later selling them in his own private auctions. "So the guy is a scumbag. What do you want me to do, kill him?"

"While that would be somewhat of a favor to the world, I'm afraid there is a more important task we have for you," said Agent Cox, gesturing for the demon hunter to keep browsing, which he did. The next screen showed a resort island with heavy fortifications built into it, apparently a combination of a vacation resort and a military test facility. "Genda owns Iejima Island, the last of the Okinawa islands to survive the Xorda invasion. The man has turned the land into his private resort and uses it for his yearly tournament."

Siles snapped his head up. "Tournament?"

"A fighting tournament, for both mortals and half-demons. He allows anybody, from mercs to trained fighters to demon hunters and even representatives from criminal organizations, to enter it. The fights are shown in some certain underground pay per view websites, and he multiplies that revenue by managing the gambling that goes on during it. The winner of the tournament gets a special reward, the Black Vault."

Another finger tap on the PDA's display showed a photo of a security vault with both mechanical locks and mystical charms. Sparda whistled. _**That's one high level vault you got there. Half of those charms alone would take even a seal master hours to solve.**_

"That vault is where Genda keeps all his most dangerous artifacts. We're talking high class dark magic shit." Agent Cox shook his head. "What's worse is that, after each tournament, he sells some of his artifacts to some high profile cults and terrorists.

"We want you in there, and what we're looking for is his list of clients. If we manage to get them, as well as their contact data and location information, we can do a little cleaning up that will make people sleep easier. You don't have to win the tournament, though I think it would be in your best interest to do so too."

_**What is this? Enter the Dragon? **_asked Sparda.

"I don't get it," said Siles, tossing the PDA back. "Why me? I'm just a new guy in this business. Biggest demon I had to face yet was a second level child-eating bastard that cried like a girl when I spilled his intestines on the floor. It makes no sense."

"Genda does regular background checks on all his competitors," Agent Cox responded, nonchalantly dropping the palmtop on the table. "If he knows one of the contestants has so much as a third degree cousin with a friend related to OASIS, he drops them out.

"You, on the other hand, are new. You've never done a mission for us. And you got some serious raw potential with the power of Sparda in you. You will be paid for all this, of course. About thirteen million to be exact…"

Siles' eyebrows rose for a second.

"… and there is a special item in the vault that your friend, Sparda, might be interested in. Look to the last page." With that, Agent Cox got up on his feet and headed to the door. "If you're willing to do this, meet me by the June Bug Café on Broadway tomorrow around three in the afternoon. Good day, Mr. Drowler."

The door clicked closed, leaving the demon hunter alone with his thoughts. He pressed the screen one last time.

Sparda gasped.

_What? Do you recognize it? _

_**That blade…**_

Siles looked at what was shown, a massive greatsword with a double-edged blade notched on both sides near the tip. The pommel was a single spike, the grip was plain with a skeletal guard, a skull-face on each side leading to the rib cage from which the blade emerged. Suddenly, memories of a sword that nearly killed him during a dark ritual three years ago came back to haunt him. He remembered the blade, but it had been in the darkest corners of his mind, forgotten, until now.

_**Rebellion…**_

End of chapter

Not a bad start, huh? Tune in for more.

Later


	2. The mission begins

Yoza. So the first chapter went aright. Not a bad start with the views and the reviews, but I think I should clarify something. The sword that was stabbed into Tails when he was a kid in order to revive Sparda was Rebellion, but the sword disappeared after he left the place. I never made mention of it again after that failed ritual until after the prologue.

This story will tell how he got that sword back and how it managed to get out of Mobius and into Takeda's hands. We're also going finally met another person that was mentioned in the first fic from Siles's past, but never gotten into too much detail about. That will come with this chapter.

I'm also going to announce that I'm no longer a Sonic fan anymore and really I'm keeping this story going because I like it and I'm doing it for you guys. Why am I no longer a Sonic fan? Because it's dead. It's games are dead, it's TV series are dead, and it's comics are even dead.

All we have now is the fandom we created and the memories we have.

Eh, that's all I wanted to say for now.

Read on.

* * *

_"The first step, my son, which one makes in the world, is the one on which depends the rest of our days." – Voltaire_

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_The cultist held a huge sword, one he knew was almost bigger than him. A huge red skull with horns was on each side of the guard, itself styled as a rib cage. The grooved tip, which made the blade slightly resemble a spade, glinted menacingly._

_"**Xuil nindol dro Lord Sparda, lil dron del szithla wenress zhah a vaen xun. Ku'lam lueth sila udossa ib'ahalii!"  **the cultist with the sword shouted, the weapon pointing at Tails' body._

_At that point, he wet himself. He stopped moving and breathing, and time slowed down. All on his eyes and mind was that sword about to stab him. Would it kill him? Would it all end? Was this a dream?_

_SLUNK!_

**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH!_**

_(End Flashback)_

* * *

_**(The Music of Welcome Home By Coheed and Cambria plays)**_

…_**Dark Side of the World Presents…**_

… _**A Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic…**_

…_**crossed over with material from Devil May Cry….**_

…_**as well as information of Demonology and Angelology….**_

_**...edited by REV6Pilot...**_

_**BLOODTAIL: THE FIRST DEVIL TRIGGER**_

_**Disclaimer: The author owns nothing that is not his….**_

_**(Music ends)**_

* * *

Siles gasped and looked around, finding himself in his bathtub. The shower above drenched him obliviously as he struggled back to his feet. Rubbing his temples, he tried to push the memory of that day out of his mind.

**_Kit…_**

_Don't even start, Sparda, _thought Siles, leaning against the wall. _ I don't blame you. It wasn't your fault.__Besides, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be this powerful. _

**_My fault or not, it was my sword and power that caused you to suffer like this. But that's not the point: do you _really_ believe having all this power is as worth it as you say? _**

Sparda's words summoned up more old memories. He could still remember a village, hidden by a forest of unimaginable size. He could still hear the children playing, ignorant to the horrors of the war being fought by their loved ones for the sake of their freedom. The smell of the mess hall cooking up dinner, chili dogs more often than not, was still fresh in his mind. He could even remember the old chants of the small church dedicate to The Walkers just a few blocks from where his old home used to be.

Yet these once cherished memories held not just nostalgia, but also rage. Rage against mobians he trusted and would have died for, who had left him to rot in the dirt because of their fear. A growl escaped his lips as he punched the wall, his fist leaving a hole in it.

**_That's gonna come out of the rent, you know._**

_Whatever._ Siles lowered his hand. _So, what's so special about this sword? I know it used to be yours, but what exactly is it?_

**_During my war against Mundus in the Dark Ages, there was that sword, forged by myself. The sword, however, was too powerful for anyone but me to use. I knew my descendants would continue my legacy, the mission to keep humanity safe, so I split the power into two different swords: Yamato and Rebellion, both different, but equal. My descendants and those worthy of its power have used them countless times, but some time ago, I've lost track of them. _**

Siles rubbed his chin._ So it's that powerful. I take it you want me to get it? _

**_It's better than letting some cultist nutjob take it. Getting it would be very useful._**

That meant taking Cox's job and fighting in the tournament.

A nervous sweat broke down the mobian's forehead. He was confident in his abilities and training, but this was a different story. There were going to be more experienced fighters than him for sure, with a good chance they could squish him flat.

_Then again, this could be my big break to make a name for myself. Either by winning the tournament, or by completing this mission. Maybe even both._

Turning the water off, he got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist as he entered the living room. Sitting on the couch, he lazily looked up towards the blank ceiling in silence. Unconsciously, his left hand slowly moved up his chest and pressed each of the wounds that he could still feel, despite them leaving no scar on his body.

Seven shots. Seven bullets. More than seven pain spots.

Siles shook his head. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep.

* * *

Say what one will about Manhattan, but it knew how to impress. Filled with the tallest of buildings and busiest of streets, it wasn't a surprise to see why most people preferred coming here. Broadway, Times Square, the memorial dedicated to the original New York City, all of it made the city a big tourist attraction.

Siles hated coming here. Not because of the representation or the people in general, but because it was always so crowded. Nothing sucked worse than having to squeeze between a fat walrus and a homeless bum who hadn't showered in days. Then there were those crazy folks who always did something stupid to attract attention, like preach the end of days or sing a song while in their underwear. The worst was the political conspiracy nuts who always were talking about the government or the corporations dragging society down.

More on one occasion had Siles antagonized them—with a little help from an all knowing demon—in order to get them angry and have them make the first move. This allowed him to beat them up "in self-defense". Sure, it was a bit of a dick move, but who doesn't want to punch a screaming conspiracy nut in the face every once in a while?

After a few searches, Siles finally managed to find the June Bug Café. It was a simple coffee shop with a small stage for poets and performers. Sitting in the back corner was Agent Cox, sipping his coffee.

Taking a seat next across from the O.A.S.I.S. agent, Siles leaned back and put his feet on the table. Cox raised an eyebrow at the display, but shrugged it off. "I take it you accept?"

Siles lifted his hands, showing himself like he was on display. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Chuckling, the agent nodded and pulled out a file from underneath the table. "Well, let's get started. Your first order is to take care of a human by the name of Vick Slannis."

"I thought I was supposed to go to this island, complete in a tournament of fighters, find the bad guy, get his contact list and then kill him."

**_Don't forget closing the portal to Outworld._**

_What?_

**_Old reference. _**

"You don't really think Takeda is just going to invite you to his tournament just like that, right? This isn't like accepting a friend request on a social media website. You have to earn your keep to get in."

Cox took out a picture of an obese bald guy with shades, a white suit and bling that would make a pimp jealous. "This is Vick Slannis, AKA Vick the Slick. He used to do business with Takeda, but they had an argument over money… you know how it goes."

"I take it Vick isn't too smart?" asked Siles, studying the photo.

"That, and he's greedy," answered Cox, putting away the photo. "He's got a hit on him and, despite the wise warnings of his lieutenants, he's still in the city, spending his nights at his club in the Bowery, watching his strippers shake their asses in front of him, the works."

**_Have I heard the word strippers?!_**

Siles rolled his eyes. _We're doing this for the job, not so see nude skanks._

**_Hey! I'm desperate. If you would just get laid already I could feel some satisfaction, but you keep denying me the enjoyment!_**

_I'm only fifteen, you lecher!_

**_That's the new twenty-one in some areas._**

Ignoring the blabbering demon, Siles nodded and got up from his seat. "I'll meet you here tomorrow with Vick's head. Have my invitation ready."

"Hm. Would you still be this confident if I told you Vick hires demons as professional body guards? And that they're not the usual first and second level riff-raff?"

Siles turned around and gave him a grin. "That only means more fun for me."

* * *

Finding the club wasn't a problem, thanks to the bright neon lights and rave music loud enough to be heard literally a mile away. Bloodtail made his way towards the club's entrance, ignoring the long line that had humans and mobians, either standing around in lonely boredom or dancing to the beat from inside. A few of them shot the young demon hunter curious looks, but mostly they ignored him.

He was finally halted at the door by two bald humans in suits and sunglasses. _How cliché can you get?_, he thought.

One of them took off his shades, revealing a pair of slitted, blood red eyes. "Back of the line," he ordered.

The demon hunter made a gesture of polishing his claws against his fuzzy chest, following that by looking at the speaker with an 'are you serious' look.

"Unless you're on the list, I suggest you leave the way you came from," the bouncer said again, lowering his head to whisper, "unless you want to go wash that big tail of yours in the riverbank."

Bloodtail was about to retort when Sparda interrupted. **_Kit, don't make a scene. I know you can take these guys, but going Rambo is only going to bring more trouble, and we don't know what kind of backup they got in there. Let's sneak inside this time. _**

Raising his hands with a mock-sheepish grin, Bloodtail backed off and walked away. He glanced back to see the guards turn back to the next guest in line.

Now with no eyes on him, he ducked into an alley and disappeared from sight.

* * *

At the back of the club, a large hovertruck pulled in. A greyhound and a red fox signaled him to stop, and the vehicle halted at the landing zone. Four mechanical arms reached out and grabbed it, slowly setting it down for a smooth landing; after it stopped, the driver jumped out from his seat and nodded to the two guards. "Evenin', boys. Got a fresh batch for ya boss."

"Any trouble?" asked the fox with a smirk.

"A couple were a bit more resistant than most, so we had to make an example," muttered the diver. "None of the younger ones though, don't wanna take another tongue lashing."

The greyhound nodded and made his way to a steel door with a keypad. He was about to press the first key when he heard a few grunts and turned around. He whipped out his pistol in instinctive shock; his partner and the driver were down on the ground, knocked out.

The remaining guard looked left and right for any sign of the attacker until he heard the faint sound of a hammer clicking behind his head. "Drop it."

The greyhound gulped and obeyed. As soon as the gun hit the floor, he was grabbed from behind and shoved into the metal door, the cold barrel pressing behind one of his ears.

"Open the door."

"I-I…" The guard didn't get a chance to argue any further; his left arm was snapped like a twig. "_AUGH! _ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" Using his right arm, the mobian typed in the code, and the steel sheets slid open after a confirmatory beep open.

Having no more use for the guard, Bloodtail wrapped his hands around the dog's head and twisted. Tossing the dead guard away, he turned to the truck and sighed. A bullet smashed the lock off. A dozen girls, both mobian and human, ranging from teenagers to in their mid-twenties, instantly moved to block their eyes from the bright lights when he opened the trunk, scampering into the corners. The hunter shook his head.

One of the girls managed the courage to glance at him. The fear in her expression softened. "Hey, he doesn't look like the usual guards."

"Because I'm not, "Bloodtail said, spooking her. "I'm actually here to kill the bastard who put you through this. Guards are out, the way's clear. Move."

The girls were hesitant in coming forward, but one by one they eventually got out of the truck. After taking some time to gain back the feeling in their legs, they thanked Bloodtail and rushed out into the alley.

A mouse, the last of the batch, turned to Bloodtail before running off to join her friends. "Put a bullet in that fucker's head for me."

He nodded, passing the open doors after she left. _Now I have two reasons to kill his asshole._

* * *

The moment he entered the main building, Bloodtail's ears were blasted with techno music; it felt like his eardrums were going to pop. A while later, he was conditioned enough to phase out most of the music, and crossing the hall was a much less uncomfortable experience.

The room was quite big for a single floor room. In the right corner, a DJ used his mixer's virtual interface system to work his magic. Across the halls was the entrance, along with a few seats for members who were too tired or looking for someone to chat with.

The flashing lights and drug smoke filled the air, both ignored by Bloodtail as he weaved through a crowd of party crazed clubbers as they shook their bodies to the beat, all of them intoxicated to some degree. A few were even passed out on the floor, getting trampled by the ignorant masses. The demon hunter caught a few eyes from the females – and, to his embarrassment, one or two males as well – all of whom had their advances ignored.

After much effort, he managed to make it out of the mob and found himself at the bar. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. _Are all clubs this crazy, or just this one?_

The bartender walked over to him with her arms crossed. "Gonna order something, noob? Or are you gonna puke?"

Bloodtail took a look at her, and saw that she wasn't the usual fare. Her skin was scaled green, with three small horns adorning her forehead, backed by a reptilian fin-shaped crown. Her face had no nose or nostrils, and her smile showed a set of red teeth, sharp as a shark's. A sultry growl escaped her lips. "I know I'm sexy, noob, but are you gonna order or not?"

"Just some water," Bloodtail muttered. Anything alcohol and he would be asked for ID, and that was sure to end up in a bad scenario for everyone. "What makes you think I'm a noob, anyway?"

"Well, first, I saw you coming looking all sweaty and disturbed, and you blew off everyone that had the hots for you," the demon answered as she filled a glass of icy water and sent it sliding on the counter towards Bloodtail's extended hand. "Sure half of them were lusters, but still, nobody does that at this joint. Secondly, you asked for water. Third, I'm just that good at judging people, noob."

**_I like this chick, _**whistled Sparda.**_ She may be an Amina, but damn, what a mouth! _**

Bloodtail sipped his drink. "Well, good guess. You won't tell anybody, will you?"

"Naw, you're a curious kid. But if you get into deep shit, then you'll have to deal with it," warned the bartender as she leaned on the counter and smiled. "I'm Jex, by the way. Real name's Jexxenxian, but everybody calls me Jex for short. Yours?"

"Siles Drowler. Call me Bloodtail."

"Cool name," said Jex as she got off the counter to answer an order from another patron. "But I'm still gonna call you Noob," she added over her shoulder.

Alone at last, Bloodtail looked around, trying to find any sign or where his target was as well as gauging the present resistance. He could see similar suited men from the entrance, most likely demons as well. There were also a few more metal doors that he bet held some nasty surprises just waiting for trouble to run free.

_But where is the big cheese? _

As he looked up, he facepalmed. It couldn't be more obvious. Right above him was a balcony protected by bullet proof glass, and inside it, sitting on a large chair, was Vick the Slick, just as his photo pictured him. Chained to his chair were two naked women with long forked tongues licking his feet, completing the portrait of ostentation. Beside him were two tall men dressed in black cloaks, most likely his top bodyguards. Bloodtail groaned. _Did this guy forget he's got a hit on him? He'd only make himself more out in the open if he wore a target on his chest that said 'kill me now'!_

"Looking at the boss?" asked Jex, who was now back to her underaged customer. "Kind of a slimeball, isn't he?"

"And you're working for him," Bloodtail pointed out.

She shrugged. "We all get at least one bad boss in our lives. Believe me, I've dealt with worse."

Bloodtail brought his drink to his lips, but stopped when he looked up and saw one of the bar's TV screens. It was a news scene about Mobius, more specifically a shot of a few individuals from Mobius.

_"…when asked about dealing with the rising demon populace in her nation, Their Majesties King Sonic and Queen Sally addressed their public saying that they will form a special task force similar to OASIS. While the UNO has praised the Kingdom of Mobius for their efforts to combat demonic threats, many are still saying that things would be easier if Mobius were to join the U.N.O. and receive the full benefits. Similarly, this announcement was made a few days before the yearly celebrated death of accused demon Mile—"_

A gunshot ended the news cast, the bullet destroying the screen and its vital circuits.

Bloodtail calmly put his gun away, casually looking around for any hostile reactions. Thankfully, it seemed the music had drowned out the sound and most of the transients didn't notice the incident. He turned to an unimpressed Jex, the only one that seemed to have paid him any heed. "I could have just shut it for off you, noob."

He pushed his glass away. The water would taste bitter in his tongue, he knew it. "Sorry, I'll pay for it."

"Forget it, that piece of junk never worked right anyway. Now I got an excuse to get a new one," said Jex, grinning a mirthful smile. "I won't even tell anyone that you're packing."

Bloodtail nodded and turned his attention toward Vick, wondering how he was going to get the guy without alerting the whole club. _I'm sure something will come to me._

* * *

Back outside, one of the bouncers up front was trying to ignore a drunken man arguing to him about being on the list when he actually wasn't. He was half tempted to just shoot the guy or at least punch him, both non-viable options according to the boss, who didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.

His thoughts were interrupted by people in the line arguing. Someone was pushing through the line, ignoring their pissed off comments until the trouble maker was right in front of him. She was no taller than a mid-to-late teenager, with her figure being the only hint of her gender, thanks to her face being hidden by a black bicycle helmet with a silver streak on top. She wore a slim black suit with elbow pads, shoulder pads, and spiked gloves for her arms while her legs were covered by kneepads and combat boots, the latter with a metal edge at the top. All of that was definitely not the usual party-goer gear, but the center was what really interested him. It looked like body armor with dark yellow tattoos designed on the front, with the "ink" lines reaching out to the back and limbs.

The strange biker chick took a step forward and lifted her head to face him, and he tried to see into the visor. Something was blocking his demonic sight. "What do you want?"

"I want in," her muffled voice demanded.

"Hey!" slurred the drunkard. "Wh-why tha fuck does this b-bitch get to go in… and… and not meh?!"

The bouncer glanced at his earlier headache before returning his gaze towards the biker chick. "Name?"

She didn't answer. The bouncer sighed and shook his head. "Listen here, lady. We follow something we call 'rules'. Those rules are simple: not on the list, not getting in."

The two of them stared at each other, neither moving from their spot. The bouncer twitched. _Is this bitch deaf?_

He was about to tell her to buzz off when she turned around and muttered, "I'll be back." She walked off, ignoring the whispers of the line and the photos some of the more lecherous patrons were taking of her rear.

The guard made a mental note to ask one of them for a copy when he let them in. Sure, she was weird, but it wasn't everyday that he saw an ass as nice as hers. He was about to attend to the next person in line when his sharper-than-normal hearing picked up the sound of a motorcycle approaching. He sighed. _Bitch really thinks that's enough to threaten us? _He turned toward his partner, who nodded, and both stepped out onto the streets, their guns drawn, waiting.

The timespan of less than three seconds brought forth a high-pitched whistle of two rockets flying straight at the very bar door they had left behind.

"Oh, shi—"

* * *

A powerful shockwave hit the club like a bowling ball on a strike. Debris from the front entrance shot out in all directions, as did the body parts of those unlucky enough to be caught in the blast, both raining down upon the now floored customers. Guards took out their weapons, attempting to restore order, while the DJ's set went mute.

Bloodtail reached for his pistols; the chips were down, there was no point in hiding them anymore. He glared at the smoking remains of the club's front, feverishly wondering just what the hell was going on.

**_Either this is some new band entrance, or a new challenger has appeared, _**Sparda commented.

The answer came as a motorbike leaping out of the smoke. As it landed in front of the crowd, Bloodtail was surprised at its rider. _She looks as young as me!_

Checking out the vehicle earned it an awed whistle. It was a classic Harley-Davidson Scorpion, armed with a gatling guns on the front and a multi-missile pod on the back.

The intruder reached into a nearby gunholster and pulled out a large double barrel shotgun.

She lifted it up into the air and fired. And then all hell broke loose.

End of Chapter

Sorry it took so long. Real life for both me and my editor. Action in the next chapter which will come as soon as possible.

Later


	3. Rave of blood

Sorry it took so long for me to update this. November was hell month for me; I couldn't get any writing done at all for any of my stories. As for why this is so late in January, finals and all that other bullcrap*. We had hoped to get this out by Christmas, but it didn't turn out as we planned! But hey, Mayan Apocalypse didn't happen so that's good news.

A few of you have asked if this is my Lady clone for the series. Actually, no. Amy is sort of the representative of Lady, this newcomer does have some traits of Lady and some of Trish, but she's mostly her own girl with her own mission.

If you've read my first story carefully, I bet you can already guess who this woman is. If not, well you'll find out anyway as you read the story overtime.

Read on.

*: EDITOR'S NOTE: Add to that a noticeable lack of extended summer vacations for school workers on this side of the globe and you get a full combo.

* * *

_"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." **–Maya Angelou**_

* * *

Needless to say, everything went straight to hell in a hand basket the moment the shotgun was fired: panicking civilians rushed out in droves, pushing their way against the ones cramming the exits, even as suited guards pulled out their weapons, and the biker flipped a switch on the handle of the motorcycle. Much to Bloodtail's surprise, the mini-guns attached to the bike came loose and deployed modified grips for hand usage. She grabbed the guns by their handles and stood up on her bike, aiming them at the guards, who didn't get a chance to fire before hundreds of tiny bullets turned their bodies into sieves.

Bloodtail had already taken cover behind the bar with Jex by the time the woman twisted on one foot, keeping perfect balance on her bike as she continued to fire with both guns, giving the room a fresh collection of new holes. The demon next to the hunter simply kept watching the show with vivid interest.

**'Jesus flipping Christ, she's going berserk!'**,thought Bloodtail as he watched the girl continue her twirl of death. When the guns ran out of ammo, she threw them away, pulled out her double barreled shotgun and a small thin blade before charging at the nearest standing guard, who had just realized the rain of lead had ceased. He tried to fire his rifle, but the blade intercepted the barrel, managing to slice half of it off despite its size, and the girl fired the shotgun point blank in his face.

The remaining guards opened fire, but she easily weaved and dodged through the gunfire, with only a few shots just barely grazing her helmet. She quickly reloaded both barrels of her gun mid-acrobatics and fired, the buck shot knocking a few back while injuring some more.

**_'No "normal" gun shells would be able to hurt half demons like these guys. They must be specially blessed or something like that'_**_,_contemplated Sparda. '**_Whoever she is, she knows what she's doing.'_**

Bloodtail had to agree as he watched her finish the remaining guards off with some quick swipes of her blade. When the last of the guards fell, the few people who had remained in the club turned up to the second floor, from where they heard clapping coming from the owner of the place.

He was doing his best to look unimpressed, but Bloodtail could smell the urine from where he was.

Giving a sick, demented smirk, Vick pressed a button on his chair. A few of the walls started to sink slowly into the floor, revealing something a bit more demonic. The new challengers, black skeletons with red glowing eyes and purple cloaks covering their bodies from the neck down, had black scythes, looking big enough to chop the mysterious biker in two. Bloodtail recognized them as Glifs, angels of death who broke the rule of death's neutrality and lost their minds in the process, forced to serve Hell as low-class demons. The girl shifted her weight, obviously prepared for the next challenge.

Three of the surviving guards charged forward, aiming their guns at her, but before she could take action, three shots were fired, and three heads exploded sequentially. She stepped back as Bloodtail landed nearby, looking up with a grin.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

* * *

**_(The Music of Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria plays)_**

…**_Dark Side of the World Presents…_**

… **_A Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic…_**

…**_crossed over with material from Devil May Cry…._**

…**_as well as information of Demonology and Angelology…._**

**_...edited by REV6Pilot..._**

**_BLOODTAIL: THE FIRST DEVIL TRIGGER_**

**_Disclaimer: The author owns nothing that is not his…._**

**_(Music ends)_**

* * *

Even though he couldn't see past the visor, Bloodtail could tell the female was surprised by his sudden appearance. From how he heard Vick screaming to his goons about him, questioning how he got in with his guns, he knew she wasn't the only one. Ignoring the rambling man, he took a look at the situation. **Dozens of Glifs ready to come at us, and I'm betting they're only the first course. **Turning to the biker chick, he said, "Look, I know this is gonna sound really strange to hear, but I'm on your side."

She tilted her head a bit, as if judging him.

He took the silence as a sign to continue. "Chances are you're not gonna be able to take out all these skull heads on your own, so…" he smirked, "… shall we dance?"

The response was a shotgun pointed in his direction, fired on the head of a Glif that tried a sneak attack as they talked. "I'll take that as a yes," deadpanned Bloodtail, who hadn't flinched in the slightest.

Without another word, they went back to back and aimed their respective weapons at the growling demons.

(Now Playing: Shoot to Trill, Artist: AC/DC)

The Glif army rushed forward from all sides, determined to tear their faces off.

The bike girl kicked up a nearby plasma rifle like a skateboard while putting away her shotgun and, as soon as the stolen weapon was in her hands, started firing on her side, while Bloodtail dealt with the other. The swarm of monsters determined to tear the duo's faces off never got close enough to them, who kept wide arcs free of Glifs.

One of the Glifs jumped up in the air and dove towards the two, driving his scythe in an arc that forced them to jump away. The biker landed near her vehicle and, without wasting time, mounted it and slapped the controls, firing a pair of mini-missiles that blew up two small chunks of the enemy army. Bloodtail had landed in the middle of the horde and had to start dodging wide scythe swipes that tried to take his limbs off. Between parrying some and blocking a few others with his handguns, he counterattacked with devastating kicks, grip whips and shots to the skull, whichever was most convenient.

One Glif tried to strangle him from behind with the shaft of his scythe, but Bloodtail, without looking, threw Ivory into the air, grabbed the weapon and ripped it out of the demon's hands, right before mule kicking the Glif into the air. He spun around and threw the scythe up, stabbing the demon into the celling with his own weapon. Jumping upwards and grabbing the pistol still in mid-air, he wrapped his legs around the handle of the stuck blade and, upside down, began to shoot in his best impression of a deadly accurate ceiling turret.

The girl, seeing this, turned on her bike and drove forward, knocking several Glifs out of the way while swinging her short blade at the stragglers. She pressed another button, opening a small hatch in the front of the bike, from which emerged a circular saw that readily ripped any of the unfortunate Glifs caught into the bike's path apart, their blood turning the once multicolored lighted dance floor bright red.

She drove towards Bloodtail, who noticed her and let go of his grip. Landing perfectly on the back of the bike, he continued to fire on the demons as the biker drove them around the room, leaving the demons to eat dust and demon-powered lead. This pattern continued on for some time, and the Glif horde rapidly diminished in size.

Vick pressed another button, releasing four more walls. Thinking at first they were more Glifs to kill, Bloodtail aimed his guns at one of the lowering walls, only to see something much bigger than a Glif. It stood over ten feet tall and had green, scaly skin that was covered in black spiked armor. Its belly was bulging and it had a reptilian head, small compared to its massive sized limbs. Held in its large hands was a large grenade launcher with skulls both human and mobian nailed to it. It roared out loud, took aim with its massive gun and fired.

The shell exploded right behind the bike, nearly sending it into a fishtail, but the driver managed to regain balance before they were launched off. Much to Bloodtail's surprise, the biker girl turned towards the large demon, even as it continued to fire shell after shell at them. With impressive skill, the biker continued to dodge the exploding rounds, goading the monster into friendly-firing the pockets of Glifs still alive into oblivion.

Two of the Glifs jumped up and tried to slice at the driver, but Bloodtail fired two shots into their heads just in time. He put his guns away and took a scythe in each hand, swiping them back and forth against the crowd, both cutting down the ones that came too close and intimidating those out of range.

The driver suddenly jumped off as soon as they were within leap distance, her blade and shotgun in hand. Without a conductor, the vehicle quickly lost control, forcing a very chagrinned Bloodtail to jump off it. His drop was botched and he landed on his knees, and both he and the bike skittered and rolled across the floor.

But while the bike didn't recover, the young demon hunter did with a roll that left him crouched right behind the grenadier demon, and he wasted no time in impaling both of its knees with the scythes the mobian had salvaged. The demon roared in pain as it fell to its haunches, just as the biker chick landed on the back of its neck. She pressed a button on the handle of the blade, and the weapon extended into a serpent sword. Twirling it in the air like a lasso, she wrapped the segmented blade around the demon's neck like a lasso. Not taking any note of the blood that began to spray out of the wounds the weapon created, she pressed her shotgun to its cranium and pulled the trigger, getting her outfit stained with the blood, bone, and brains that were sent flying.

Wiping some of the demonic remains off ths face and coat, Bloodtail got up and swaggered to her side as she did much the same on top of the now dead demon. "You know, not that I don't think what you did there was cool and all, you think you can warn me next time to do a stunt like that?" he deadpanned, glancing at the now prone body of the grenadier.

The biker girl glanced at him for a second or two as she reloaded her shotgun without looking. Then, she charged back into the Glif crowd.

Bloodtail rolled his eyes. **What's the deal with this girl?**

**_Who knows, but you better hurry up or she's gonna outdo you! _**warned Sparda, chuckling a bit.

Although a bit peeved, the mobian devil hunter broke out into a sprint and a leap, kicking a few now hesitant Glifs off his path as he landed, just for show.

As the two continued to make their way towards Vick's direction, other three of the big green demons aimed their launchers at the two. A quick exchange of a nod and the two split up in opposite directions, just as an explosion went off where they had just stood. Bloodtail was the first to reach one of the big ugly ones, jumping onto its gun and kneeing it in the face from there. The demon stumbled back a bit, giving Bloodtail the chance to open fire on its face. The bullets, however, only made the demon angrier, and as soon as it recovered, it tried to swipe Bloodtail off the grenade launcher, but the demon hunter ducked between its legs, and jumped on the back of its head, tossing both pistols into their pockets in mid-air.

His arms glowed with demonic energy, the energy forming into sharp claws which he was quick to sink into the sides of the demon's head. As its body started spazzing, Bloodtail gripped through the little brains there were in its cranium, and, with a loud grunt, he leapt off, taking the the demon's ripped brainpan with him. As the body fell on its side, Bloodtail threw the piece of corpse into the back of an oblivious Glif's head, shaking his hands both to wipe the remains off himself and to relieve the burning feeling the technique he had just used left behind. "The things I do for cash," he mumbled, annoyed.

The biker, in the meantime, was giving off a tremendous show of acrobatics, dodging scythes left and right while the whip-sword in her hand opened up ugly gashes and lopped off body parts from the Glifs she fought. She spotted the other big giant ready to launch another explosive shell and, turning her weapon back to its short sword form, she threw it straight at the large demon's neck. The blade sunk in far under the skin, and the lizard-like monster dropped aiming in favor of clutching its throat. With the most dangerous foe out of the way, she kicked off and slid on the ground until she was close enough to shoot a shell at its knee, forcing it the demon down. As the demon clutched the now useless joint, she jumped on the knee and into its chest, reached into the puncture on its neck and grabbed the knife's hilt.

As she held on, the ogre like demon roared in agony and began flailing madly, firing its weapon in random directions. Most of the Glif flock, and even the remaining grenade launching demon, were no match for the friendly fire. As for Bloodtail , he found himself rolling, jumping and dodging harder than ever before in the fray he was in. "Jesus! I don't know if this bitch is trying to help me or kill me!" he yelled to no one in particular.

Somewhere along the line, the shotgun-toting daredevil had shoved her feet on the chin of the demon she was riding and started pulling the sword towards herself, cutting down the demon's body from its neck to its stomach. Just as the blade cut through the final rib and sailed through the demon's belly hide like it was a piece of warm butter, she kicked off, leaving the monster to collapse on top of its own spilled guts.

The Glif demons looked at the messy death of the last of their larger allies, and then at the blood covered biker girl who flicked around her blade a bit, uselessly trying to wipe it even a bit cleaner. Then, the Glifs disappeared in puffs of black smoke, leaving Vick to scream profanites from his chair. Bloodtail stared at his impromptu ally and growled, "Okay, now I'm getting annoyed."

**_Oh, somebody's jealous! _**teased Sparda.

**I-I'm not! **

**_Remember, I feel what you feel! _**the demon sing-songed.

**Oh fuck you, man.**

(End song)

After wrapping up the conversation he had with Sparda – mostly by ignoring the teasing the demon kept darting his way –, Bloodtail and the biker girl began to walk their way towards the balcony, both with guns drawn. Bloodtail's eyes turned to the two cloaked bodyguards who seemed to be calm despite the fact that nearly all of the club's forces had been eliminated... security guards that Vick stood up and pointed at, yelling, "You two! Attack them!"

Bloodtail and the biker girl raised their weapons, ready for a final fight, but two men remained still. Vick turned to them, his choleric face turning purple. "Didn't you hear me! I said go kill those sons of bit—"

In a flash, one of the bouncers kicked the fat man out of the balcony and onto the blood covered floor, much to the surprise of all three who weren't dressed in suits, and vanished in a veil of darkness, leaving their former boss to face off against the two individuals whom had slaughtered the entire guard alone.

Now without a single line of defense, Vick looked up hesitantly. Instantly, he was sent scampering back from the glare directed at him from a pair of blue mobian eyes. Raising Ivory, Bloodtail shook his head. "I don't know if you forgot their paychecks or denied their meal tickets, but the game's over, lard tub. Your former business partner sends his regards."

"W-wait! I'll pay you money! Women! Whatever you want!" begged Vick, panicked and with tears dripping down his eyes. "I just don't want to die!"

Bloodtail smirked. "You know something? I always thought that the whole 'I'll give you anything' schtick was just a fiction cliché." The demon hunter stepped closer, leaning a little down on the pitiful form at his feet. "Seeing it in real life, man, it really shows how pathetic and desperate scumbags like you really are." He took aim. "Adios."

Suddenly, before he could fire, a length of segmented blades wrapped around the pistol and pulled it away, just as he fired, missing Vick's head by inches. Bloodtail turned around...

… only to get kicked straight between his legs in a hit that very nearly knocked his eyeballs out of their sockets.

**_Oh! That's gotta hurt! _**winced Sparda.

"Fuck..." the mobian croaked through the pain, holding his manhood.

The chick turned towards Vick and raised her shotgun. "No! Wait!" he shouted, raising a hand.

**_BANG!_**

For all the good it did against the single shot that blew his head apart like an overripe melon.

Getting back to his feet, and ignoring the now diminished ache between his legs, Bloodtail glared at the biker, but said nothing as she walked past him. He wasn't sure if he should shoot her for taking his kill or himself for getting taken down so easily. _Damn male weaknesses._

Already on the bike kicking the engine on, the girl holstered her shotgun. Before she could take off, Bloodtail shouted, "Hey, Missy!" She turned around and stared at him. "Next time we meet," he snarled, "I'm taking one of _your_ kills."

Her answer was to simply drive towards the exit as if he'd said nothing.

As sirens began to sound in the distance, Bloodtail kicked a nearby dead body in frustration. "Figures. Damn police are never on time."

"Well, somebody may have held them back a bit."

Raising his eyebrow, he turned around and saw Jex walk out from behind her bar, smiling like it was Christmas. "That was impressive," she purred. "Too bad you didn't get the target."

"Oh?" asked Bloodtail, readying his trigger finger. "And how do you know I was aiming for Vick?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Oh please, Noob, you made it way too obvious! Although crazy shotgun lady back there was kind of an unexpected twist, she managed to do it with some class." The demoness smirked teasingly. "Guess that makes her better then you, Noob."

"Who are you?" Bloodtail demanded, pointing his guns at Jex. "I tried to kill your boss just now, turned this entire crib into a blender, and even after everything, you just sit there, enjoying the sight like this was some game. Not only that, but you don't see the least bit angry that you just lost your job."

Jex shook her head in amusement and placed one hand over the hunter's, slowly lowering the two barrels pointed at her. "Well, that's because this isn't my real job, Noob," she explained calmly. "My real job is with another boss." She leaned in a little closer and winked. "The same boss you are trying to please for a shot into the tournament."

* * *

_"What do you mean, you didn't get the target?!" _shouted Agent Cox's voice on the phone. Siles had to keep it at arm's length from his sensitive ears. _"What the fuck happened?!"_

"If you calm down, I'll tell you, jeeze," huffed the young hunter, trying to ignore the looks he was getting from ambulance workers and police officers. Before they had arrived, he'd left and started pretending to be part of the growing crowd of curious onlookers, although the blood on him didn't really help. "Some girl on a bike came and started shooting up the place. I helped her out, but as it turned out, we were after the same thing. She just got it first."

_"Damn, that was our only lead to get you into the tournament. Now we have to find another one."_

Siles smirked. "Actually, I might have another one. I'll tell you more after I meet up with somebody."

"_Who? Drowler, what's goi–"_

Siles slapped the phone shut and started making his way through the crowds to the other end of the street, where Jex was eyeing him with interest as she smoked a cigarette. Siles eyed the lizard demon with both curiosity and caution. **Why do I get the feeling that I'm entering the dragon's den?**

**_Because you are, _**commented Sparda.**_ She says she can help you get into the tournament, but you know there's going to be a catch, but there's no choice but to go with it. That's what's making you nervous. Look, just get there and do this. You'll feel better after you know the details._**

Nodding mentally, Siles walked across the street, Jex's smile growing larger with each step of his. When they stood face to face, she spat out the cancer stick to the side and laughed. "I was almost sure you were thinking of ignoring my offer, Noob. Guess you really want to get into that thing, huh?"

"I'm not the kind of guy who quits easily," said Siles as the two started walking down the street, away from the destroyed club. "But I have some questions. Like, why didn't you take care of Vick when you were already undercover? I doubt a guy like Takeda would send any ordinary assassin to watch a two-bit scumbag he really wants dead."

Jex waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Oh, I do a few things for him, but I'm not an assassin. More like a scout, really. Those two bodyguards that left Vick?" she asked, pointing back over her shoulder with a thumb. "Paid them off to work for Takeda. The Stone Brothers aren't easy to beat, but they're not that hard to buy out." They turned left on a corner, feeling the breeze on their faces. "Anyways, Takeda left Vick alive because he wanted to see if anybody would cut the grass for him. If they did well enough, he was willing to lend them an invitation to the tournament out of amusement... and a favor."

"I'm gonna guess, then: since that… _girl_," the two-tailed teenager spat the word bitterly,_ "_managed to get the finishing blow, she's in."

Jex laughed again. "She sold me over when she kicked your balls right out your ass, Noob! Even if the kill was yours, I'd put a really good word in for her."

Siles groaned, annoyed. "Just tell me what you want, alright? I just got one upped by a girl and a friend of mine is never going to let me down on that, and I'm tired, smelling like shit, and covered in guts, blood and things I don't even wanna imagine."

**_Aw, it's just like those parents who love to tell embarrassing stories about their children! _**cooed Sparda.**_ Besides, think of this is a lesson for you: women are scary monsters that can kick your ass one way or another if you don't watch yourself. _**

**Great, I'll make sure to study that tonight.**

"Temper, temper, Noobie!" taunted Jex, earning a flip of the bird from Siles. "Anyway, even if youdidn't get the mark, you were impressive and I like you." She put a fist to her chin in mock thought. "I think... I can give you another chance to prove yourself."

Siles raised an eyebrow. "But…?"

Jex stopped walking and grinned, showing her demonic teeth. "But, you're gonna have to compete with a few other guys for it, and the second tryout won't be as easy as this was. What do you say?"

"I say fine, just give me a time and a place," he answered without hesitation.

She patted him on the shoulder. "Excellent! You may be a Noob, but you got balls… well, what's left of them, anyway!" Jex laughed and started walking away while Siles growled, resisting the urge to shoot her head off.

She took a card out from under her sleeve and tossed it back to him, who caught it off the air and flipped it to he business side. On it was a set of directions, along with a lipstick kiss.

He tried to spot Jex again, but she was already out of sight. Groaning, he placed the card into his pocket and started looking for the nearest train station. "What's with my strange luck with women?"

**_Hey, it's the strange ones that are good in bed. Between biker girl and Jex, I'd say try for either of them, _**encouraged Sparda.

Siles stopped and looked up at the night sky. _There's something about that biker woman, I'll give you that. She's no average fighter, but her style is just reckless and dangerous. Hmmm…_

Then again, if he managed to get in the tournament he could met her again. _And then extract me horrible revenge! Muahaha!_ At Sparda's groan, he grinned widely. _Payback, sucker!_

* * *

_Cute kid. A little young for me, though, _wereJex's thoughts as she walked into an alley. After making sure she wasn't being followed, she pulled out a small, blue glowing cube and spoke into it, "Call. Boss."

The cube floated out of her hand and spun a bit, before a holographic video screen appeared, showing a man's face covered in shadows. "Jex. I'm guessing Vick is dead?"

"It's gonna be a closed casket funeral," she answered. "You were right. She _did_ get in contact with me and boy did she show class. Blew his entire head off in one move."

"Our girl seems to be quite the fighter. Just like him," chuckled Takeda. "Send her the invitation. This will be a very amusing tournament."

"One other thing. There was a half-demon fox mobian that tried to get Vick first. The two of them worked together until she one upped him. He's not bad, for a noob at least."

"I'm guessing you plan on him being a wild card, hm?" asked Takeda. "What makes this one different from the rest?"

Jex smirked. "He's got the same energy a certain _sword_ in your vault."

The demoness' boss said absolutely nothing for over ten seconds. "… If he does pass, I take it back. This will be a very _interesting_ tournament."

**End Chapter**

No talk. Must sleep.

Later


	4. The Second Chance

Well this one got out pretty nice. So I've played DMC... it's not bad. Granted I wish the characters were a bit better and I really... REALLY... hate that little "Fuck you" we got in the first level with Dante's hair not being white and all of sudden a white wig is placed on his head. Thanks for that, assholes. Other then that, the music is good, combat is awesome, visuals are pretty nice and the story, while not perfect, was decent. I just wish the characters were better designed.

So I'd suggest old school fans to rent the game first and see if they like it, while new fans can get this game and play it to their hearts content. Anyway, enough of DMC, let's read on.

* * *

"_Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'entrate." - Dante's Inferno Canto III, Line 9_

* * *

"So let me get this straight..." said Agent Cox as he calmly drank his coffee.

Siles rolled his eyes, catching the worried glances he kept getting from the cafe's other customers, some even a few already calling the police. _It's not a crime for a demon hunter to walk around with his weapons out, you know_, hethought.

"... you managed to get inside, and before you knew it, some masked biker forced her way into the club, then she started shooting the place up. You teamed up with her to kill the goons, and then she killed Vick and left you in the dust. Now you're telling me that some demon bartender, who just so happens to be a spy for Takeda, is giving you a chance to prove yourself by doing some task you don't know anything about or when you're going to be doing it."

Siles shrugged. "That's pretty much it."

The two stared at each other for a while, neither showing a change in expression. Cox took his coffee and finished it in one large gulp. "Remind me to have us meet in a bar next time," he said, wiping his mouth. "You're making me need a drink."

"Only if you're buying," answered the mobian, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes. "You let me worry about Jex when the time comes; that's my headache to deal with. For now, all you have to do is tell me more about the bitch that one-upped me last night."

"Did you get a good look at her face?" asked Cox. "I can't just put in an information request with only the fact that she's female, has a bike, and pissed you off."

**_I know her boob size. Can that help? _**joked Sparda.

Siles ignored him.

"She kept her face covered, so I can't help you there," mumbled the fox. "But the bike looked old. Like, twentieth century old."

The agent shook his head and got up from his seat. "Well, forget the girl. She doesn't matter. If this Jex is really Takeda's spy, then it's best if we don't see each other until you complete whatever trial is set for you. I'm going to report to my superiors and let them know of the changes; meanwhile, you keep to your apartment and keep a low profile."

Waving him off dismissively, Siles leaned back against his chair. The human just shook his head and left, mumbling to himself along the way. Siles blew a raspberry in his mind. _Dude needs to chill more. He'll have a heart attack if he stays this high-strung._

**_So what are you going to do now?_**

The demon hunter closed his eyes and concentrated. He wasn't one for sitting on his ass and letting time just fly by; if anything, he wanted to find out more about that biker chick. Not many people went around on classic post-Xorda war bikes anymore, and if she was another demon hunter, then chances were she'd have at least some info in on the public record. It couldn't be that hard to find her.

**_Man, you must be in love or something, _**chuckled the dark knight. **_You never thought this much about a girl except that Rose friend of yours back in Mobius. _**

Siles frowned at the mention of Amy, but quickly pushed his thoughts of the past away. _I just want to get back at her for taking my kill! This is a man's pride we're talking about!_

Sparda mock-sighed. **_Fine, lover boy, deny it._**

Siles growled and proceeded to storm out of the cafe, ignoring the waiter's outraged cries for payment. He continued to walk through Times Square with a scowl on his face, warding off or stepping around anybody who stood in his way. His thoughts continued focused on the biker to the point whre he snapped his head at anything that even vaguely sounded like a motorcycle engine.

* * *

_**(The Music of Welcome Home By Coheed and Cambria plays)**_

…_**Dark Side of the World Presents…**_

… _**A Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic…**_

…_**crossed over with material from Devil May Cry….**_

…_**as well as information of Demonology and Angelology….**_

_**...edited by REV6Pilot...**_

_**BLOODTAIL: THE FIRST DEVIL TRIGGER**_

_**Disclaimer: The author owns nothing that is not his….**_

_**(Music ends)**_

* * *

Heading down to the underground train station nearby, the teenaged mobian, like everybody else, paid for his ticket and waited for his ride, leaning against a pillar at the platform. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, trying to put all the info he had in perspective. _Not tall enough to be an adult– must be in her teens. Black skin suit, black helmet with a silver streak. Some kind of double-barrel shotgun that looks centuries-old. Do they even still make those? Finally, some short sword that can turn into a snake blade. Finally, she's deadly skilled, meaning she's had training in some form of demon combat at the very least. _Siles bopped his own head with a fist in frustration. "Dammit, if only she took off her helmet!"

**_You know, if you can't find her via looks you can always find her a different way, _**commented Sparda.

_What do you mean? _he asked as the train pulled in and he prepared to enter it.

**_Well, it just so happens that a certain awesome demon may have memories the license plate on the bike from last night. Number's 234-198. _**

Pausing mid-step, Siles slowly backed away from the train station, hitting himself on the head harder this time. _And you only remember this now?!_

**_I'm only telling you because you won't get over it. Just go to the Department of Motorized Transit and ask them for the name of the person who owns the vehicle with that license. A simple little lie, stating you're doing an investigation into a demon related incident, should prevent them from asking too many questions._**

_Simple enough. Let's get go—_

Their conversation was interrupted by a series of rings from Siles's COM-link. He saw on the holographic interface that it was from an unknown caller as he pulled the device out, but he accepted it anyway.

Appearing on the interface was none other than a grinning Jex. "_Hey there, Noob."_

"That was fast," Siles deadpanned truthfully. "I didn't expect you to be calling me until later this week."

_"Yeah, I know. Rushing's not normally my thing, but my boss wants me to get you and the rest of the wild cards done with so he doesn't have to worry about it while dealing with future business. You free tonight?"_

Although he wanted to go to the DMT, Siles knew the mission was a more important priority than his personal vendetta. "Yeah. What's the task?"

_"I can tell you're near one of the subway stations, so take the line to Williamsbridge in the Bronx and meet be by a meat market named Dil's. Your competition will be there, too, so do me a favor and hold on killing each other until I'm there to explain everything. Later, Noob."_

Before Siles could question any further, the call ended, leaving him even more suspicious. Putting away his COM-link, Siles eyed a map of the railway system, beginning to plot his course. _Going in blind in one of the most crime infested areas in the city with no info, no backup, and meeting danger head on? Sounds like an average Friday._

* * *

After he arrived at the Bronx, Siles wasted no time in making his way towards the meeting place. It took some time, but he was able to find Dil's Meat Market, which, as it turned out, wasn't a working business, but an old boarded-up storefront. With a raised eyebrow, Siles looked around, trying to find either Jex or anybody else, but the street was empty. With a sigh, he opened the door, entering the abandoned establishment with his senses at full alert.

Upon his entrance, four sets of eyes immediately turned their gaze on him. Siles didn't move a muscle as he analyzed every one of them. The closest to him, hanging by one of the boarded up windows, was a light brown bull mobian who had to be at least twice the fox's size. He had ink markings all over his body, and wore only a pair of jeans with a chain belt. More chains were wrapped around his back, holding a large double sided battleaxe that occasionally glowed blue. He eyed Siles with suspicion at first, but looked away, apparently disinterested.

The next one was a spiky, blond haired human leaning by the register on the dusty counter. He wore a red combat outfit that Sparda commented made him look like a rip-off an old comic hero named Arsenal, only he had no face mask or hood, but a small orange scout visor over his right eye. Next to him was a heavy two handed machine gun with a rotary set of barrels, a small computer target system interface on top of the rig. He was the only one grinning at Siles, even giving off a small, good-natured salute to the newcomer.

The third one was human as well, or at least he looked like one, mostly. The pointy ears and red slitted eyes easily showed his half demon heritage. He had long black hair tied into a ponytail, and had most of his body covered in a black cloak with cherry petals on it. The only other thing that stood out, besides his icy expression, was the katana in a blue sheath that he had in his hand.

The last one, hiding in the corner, was the one that worried Siles the most. Like the half-demon, he had a black cloak covering his entire body, as well as a hood. Unlike him, he was as far from human as could be: his appearance was like that of a green octopus, complete with slippery-looking tentacles over his mouth. _Hell, even his arms and legs_ _are tentacles,_ thought Siles. _Wonder if there are more inside the gift wrap._ Wrapped around his slowly flailing limbs was a long black staff, with three glowing purple crystals on top. Those pulsed with an energy that made Siles feel unwell.

**_Samogloth... _**growled Sparda. **_I hate these demons. Children of Samyaza, seventh level general, who practice in dark arts. These fuckers are never to be trusted, so keep your guard up, kit._**

Siles silently agreed, keeping his focus on the samogloth, until he noticed the machinegunner walk up to him. "Sup, dude," he nodded. "Name's Rigby, former OASIS soldier, now freelancer. Did that Amina chick invite you too?"

"Considering he's holding two guns in his coat, I think the answer is obvious," muttered the half-demon. He shook his head. "Although why a kid is involved in this is beyond my understanding."

_And I already dislike this guy, _mused Siles. _And it only took him thirty seconds._

"Geez, dude. Chillax," muttered Rigby, rolling his eyes. He held his hand out, which Siles shook reluctantly. "Nice to meet a fellow gun wielding buddy."

"If any of you were real warriors, you wouldn't have need for guns..." said the bull, before eying the demon in the corner, "... or magic."

Suddenly, the sound of heavy machinery echoed across the room, making all five of them turn around with their weapons drawn. Near the end of the store, one of the halls was slowly opening, revealing a large white elevator waiting for them.

Inside that elevator was none other than Jex, who now wore a very formal business suit. Grinning, she stepped forward and presented the elevator to them like a game show host. "Well, gentlemen, shall we begin?"

* * *

**_You know, if you survive this, this would make a pretty good joke, _**said Sparda. **_A demon hunter, a bull, a machine gunner, a dark magic demon from hell, and every weeaboo otaku fangirl's dream-hunk get into an elevator with a hot lizard demon. What happens next?_**

_Don't know, but we're about to find out, _Bloodtail thought back, still carefully eyeing the others. Although it was hard to tell with the samogloth, every one of them seemed to be on edge. The only one who seemed to be in a happy mood was Jex, who occasionally winked at Bloodtail.

The elevator continued its decent, making the demon hunter wonder just how far they were going, and also something else. "How the hell is there an elevator hidden in the middle of nowhere?" he asked out loud.

"When Neo York City was built, they used these babies during the construction," said Jex. "When the city was finished, all of these elevators were shut down and destroyed… of course, that's the story the official documents on the Department of Urban Planning's archives tell."

She clapped her hands, bringing all eyes to her. "Okay, before we continue with the history lesson, as well as the reason you're all here, we're going to have a little ice breaker." She pointed to the bull mobian. "You. Talk about yourself."

The stout male raised an eyebrow before answering, "My name is Domino. I was born here in the Human Lands and was raised by a group as a shaman. I lack the ability to use magic, but my Ax is blessed by my elders.

"One night I had a vision of an island where men and women of great strength battled each other for dominance. I am entering this tournament because I believe it is where I will find my destiny and purpose for my life."

"So you believe that your destiny is to jump head first into a life or death situation?" joked Jex, chuckling. "No offense, but the spirits must have a weird sense of humor." She pointed to the katana wielding half-demon, who only turned his head away.

"I am Ren, and that's all you need to know."

"Whatever, emo-git," commented an annoyed Jex, which made 'emo-git' growl.

She pointed to Rigby next, who saluted and winked at the Amina. "'Sup, everyone!" he proclaimed theatrically, reminding Bloodtail of a radio DJ. "I'm Rigby, and I like violence and shooting stuff! I'm pretty handy in a tough spot, so if you need backup, I'm your guy!" he finished with a thumbs up.

The mobian half devil could swear he heard Jex cough "first to die" into her fist, before she pointed to the only full demon in their company.

**_"Xsnsy asher sjebeb wuweg ys eigb sub aswsgw wabwbe us biwue," _**greeted the samogloth. At least, it seemed like a greeting.

"Aaaaand I didn't understand any of that," the demoness said flatly, rubbing her head. "Seriously, I should have studied those other demon languages long ago." She clapped her hands again and smiled. "Okay, now for our last guy: Mr. Noob."

"Are you ever going to stop that?" asked Bloodtail, rolling his eyes.

"Nope!" Jex with a cheeky smile. "Now get on with your intro."

He groaned faintly. "Fine. I'm Bloodtail, a demon hunter. And yeah, despite what you think, I am strong enough to kick all your asses." He glared at Ren, who responded back with a glare of his own. "I'm not just some 'kid'; I was around the time Robotnik was in power, and I've seen my fair share of hell on this earth."

For a moment, it looked like Ren was about to respond, but he snorted and turned away without a real reply. Jex chuckled. "I can tell all of you are going to be the best of buddies! ... if you survive that is."

"Enough of the stalling," demanded Domino, his hands twitching. "Why hasn't the elevator stopped by now? How low are we going?"

"Scared, big guy?" Jex cooed. "Relax, you're not in any danger... yet." She pulled out a hologram disk out of her pockets, showing them all of Neo York City. "Now, as you know, Neo York City was built on the remains of the original NYC after the Xorda war. However, those ruins still remain after all these years. That's where we're headed."

"Wait a minute!" cried out Rigby, putting his hands up. "Are you telling me we're heading into Undercity? Dude, everybody knows those places are crawling with ghosts and mutants and who knows what else! It's suicide, going down there!"

"Oh please," muttered Ren, getting a dirty look from the human, "those are just rumors used to scare children. Although I am curious myself as to why we are heading down there. Isn't it a transgression of the law?"

"You seriously think official laws are gonna stop us?" asked Jex condescendingly, flipping through the screens on her personal projector, showing ruins of a desolated city next. "Anyway, there's still some interesting stuff to be found in the ruins, and Mr. Takeda is _very_ interested in old things. He sent a well-prepared team of scientists, security forces, and even a few demonology experts just in case they ran into trouble.

"For two weeks, they found nothing. But then, we got a call saying that they found something big. Something _very _big."

"And I'm willing to bet that these guys disappeared right before they could bring it back, right?" asked Bloodtail. He scoffed at the nod he received in return. "God, how cliché can you get?"

"Anyway, the team is a secondary priority; the first is to get whatever they found. According to them, it's sealed in a big black briefcase with a silver lock. If you bring it back to me in ten hours, you will be allowed into the tournament. Simple," said the Amina demon with a toothy grin.

"And if we don't find the case in that amount of time?" asked Domino.

Jex shrugged. "Then we'll see if society crumbles with your absence or not, because past the deadline, we're leaving without you."

**_You can't accuse her of dishonesty in this, at the very least, _**commented Sparda.

Before anybody could ask any questions, the elevator skidded and jerked to a halt. Jex stepped forward. "We're here. Lock and load, pussies."

* * *

The term 'wasteland' definitely did not do justice for what lay before them. The once grand city of old New York was a grim mockery of its more glorious times. Barely a few buildings still stood tall, none of them even half-untouched; roads were torn up, littered with rusted heaps of old cars, electronics, rubble and other, now unidentifiable remains of old technology. According to the legendary dark knight within Bloodtail, it all looked like the filming set of a semi-caffeinated, cranky Michael Bay.

The host of said demon looked up, only faintly seeing the domed structure holding the new city above the one build over the ashes of the dead. Stepping off the elevator, the five contenders drew their respective weapons.

There were no rats, no bugs, no signs of any life. The silence was literally that of the dead; the only sounds to be heard were the weak breezes created by the thermal convection of the stale air rustling the lighter debris.

"I hope you guys brought your own food and water, because there ain't gonna be a single pizza parlor open around here!" yelled Jex, still in the elevator, back at the tense warriors. "Also, I'd like it to be known that only those who survive **and** have the case with them are the ones who will move onto the tournament. Remember: there's no 'I' in 'teamwork'!"

"No thanks," muttered Ren, immediately running off in one direction. Domino and the samogloth soon followed his example, with Domino running off, his hooves pounding against the pavement. The samogloth raised his staff, emitting a purple glow before disappearing in a veil of darkness. Rigby, the only one who stayed, looked over at Bloodtail before shaking his head. "Well, I guess that leaves us, the dynamic duo." He lifted his gun, moving towards a nearby alley. "I'll scout out ahead and see if the coast is clear."

The fox was about to take off himself when he was interrupted. "Hey, Noob!" Jex cried out. "Don't die, alright? I like you and I want to see you kick some ass in that tournament."

"I didn't know you cared," he said back, feigning flattery and giving a small grin to her in return. "I'll be fine. I'm more than you think."

As the elevator doors slowly closed, Jex flashed him a smile. "I hope so. It would suck for a guy holding the power of Sparda to die in this hole."

Bloodtail couldn't so much as think about masking his surprise before he lost sight of Jex. Stupefied, he watched the elevator rise up to the surface, before shaking his head in frustration. _What is it with women throwing me off my game lately?_

"GAAAAH!"

The scream coming from the alley echoed across the dead street, making Bloodtail snap towards its origin. "Rigby!" Siphoning a little of his energy into his legs, the fox sped towards the side path's entrance. "Rigby! Hold on!"

There was no sign of the human all along the narrow passage, and when he reached the end, he found himself at an abandoned basketball court. And there, in the middle of the court, was Rigby's gun... along with a large pool of blood. Slowly stepping forward, the demon hunter eyed the amount that was lost, easily concluding that the human was quite dead already, wherever the poor bastard had been dragged off to.

_You got it right, Jex,_ Bloodtail thought grimly as he drew his guns. The city wasn't as dead as it seemed to be, that much was certain, and he would have to find out what really lay inside the quiet husks of civilization.

_**End of Chapter**_

I'll make the next chapter longer.

Later


	5. The City of The Dead

Hey everyone, sorry I'm late. Good news is that I'm out of college so I should have more time to do this fic. I just hope people still read it.

Anyway, Read and enjoy.

* * *

_"RUN LIKE HELL!" _

_-Zoey from Left 4 Dead_

* * *

It had barely been an hour, and the mission was already a nasty FUBAR. Not only had his 'teammates' deserted him for their own reasons, the only guy who had been willing to help him out had ended up dead no less than a few minutes when they arrived. Now Bloodtail was on his own, in the old abandoned ruins of New York, with who knows what leaking in the alleys.

Keeping his fingers on the triggers of his pistols, Bloodtail decided to take the higher ground; the alleys were perfect for ambushes, and staying out in the streets would make him a big target. With a quick jumping maneuver, he climbed onto the rooftops, and as he leapt from complex to complex, the half-demon kept his senses on full alert. As he continued, he took a moment to look at the devastation of what was once called the greatest city so long ago. He could even see the remains of the Empire State Building, now nothing more than a giant skeleton of rusted steel and worn concrete, a tomb for those killed in the Xorda invasion.

**_Kind of sad, really, _**lamented Sparda with a sad sigh. **_I actually used to like this city when it was around. The original Times Square was always perfect for a New Year's celebration, and seeing the Yankees play the World Series was always memorable. _**

_I'm more of a Mets kind of guy, _responded Bloodtail, putting more power into his jump to leap across a street. He made a perfect landing into an open window, finding himself in a dusty, moldy office complex about twenty floors up from the ground. The fox looked around for any and all threats, and when he was convinced of the safety of the vicinity, he put his guns away.

He carefully made his way across the room, noting the damaged computers and turned over desks, and peered down below from another window. Using his enhanced sight, he tried scanning over the area, looking for clues as to what direction the excavation team might have taken or if there was any sign of his fellow hunters. _Damaged cars, trash cans, McDonalds – huh, they really did have those even back then –, a telephone, a port-a-john near some construction site…_

There was nothing.

Sighing in frustration, Bloodtail leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Two hours leaping around like a hyperactive flea for not a single clue. Jex could have at least given us some more information other than 'look around'. Even a fricken' address where they'd last been seen would have been nice."

**_At least you haven't run into any trouble yet, _**the dark demon knight pointed out.

"True, true."

Seeing no other place to turn to, Bloodtail prepared to take his investigation somewhere else. Then, he heard something. Concentrating, he was able to tell what it was. _Is that… crying?_ After drawing Ebony for its holster, he slowly made his way across the room, where it got darker and more grim. From the left corner, he could barely make out the figure of a female huddling on her knees, hunched over. From what he could see, she was pale and with dirt all over her ripped up clothes.

"Hey, are you from Takeda's team?" asked Bloodtail, lowering his gun. The crying continued. Shaking his head, he reached out and touched her arm. "Hey, I said–"

_"Raaaah!" _

Bloodtail cursed as he felt three sharp slashes against his chest, an attack that knocked him off his feet and into a wreckage of a cubicle. Looking up, he saw that his 'survivor' was anything from normal. She was pale as a ghost and so skinny the bones were visible underneath her skin, which, considering her power, was quite a surprise. Her hands were claws with extended fingernails, and her body was completely hairless, except the stone-grey mop on her head. Finally, there was her face, sullen and almost skeletal, with eyeballs completely gone and replaced with wispy motes of white mist. It then unleashed a horrifying scream.

* * *

**_(The Music of Welcome Home By Coheed and Cambria plays)_**

…**_Dark Side of the World Presents…_**

… **_A Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic…_**

…**_crossed over with material from Devil May Cry…._**

…**_as well as information of Demonology and Angelology…._**

**_...edited by REV6Pilot..._**

**_BLOODTAIL: THE FIRST DEVIL TRIGGER_**

**_Disclaimer: The author owns nothing that is not his…._**

**_(Music ends)_**

* * *

Like a banshee, she screamed again and charged at Bloodtail with her blood soaked fingers. His response was to fire non-stop at the monstrous human-like thing, blowing bits of her body away. With one final bullet, the creature gave one cry as she dissented to her knees. The white mist evaporated from the body, leaving behind but an empty husk.

Bloodtail kept his sights lined up with the body as he got up and carefully stepped towards it. After a quick kick to its gut for good measure, Bloodtail asked his demon partner a simple question: _What the fuck was that?_

**_I think that was a Weeper, _**said Sparda. Bloodtail raised an eyebrow, asking for a detailed explanation. **_A Weeper is a soul that can't accept it's died, so it possesses a dead body, sometimes its own and sometimes another's. When in that body, it can actually feel again; in fact, its senses are roughly ten times that of a normal human. However, the body's memories collide with the soul's own, causing a great deal of pain, so much so that it risks going insane. If it does, you get a Weeper._**

"So what happens when the body is destroyed?" asked Bloodtail. "Does the soul move on?"

**_No, it's not like normal spiritual possession. The soul just becomes hungrier to live again, so it looks for another corpse to possess. Unless you know exorcism, it'll remain around. Another thing about Weepers: if there is one of them lying around…_**

A loud series of screeches echoed across the building, followed by more from the outside.

**_… there are usually more of them. _**

As the sound of tremulous footsteps grew closer from the door on the opposite side of the room, the demon hunter twirled his guns with a smirk. "Okay, so how many we talking? Dozens? Maybe a hundred of them?"

**_Oh yeah, sure… a hundred… times ten…_**

Bloodtail stopped his twirling, an eye twitching. "What?"

**_The lowest number you'll ever find when dealing with Weepers is seven hundred. And judging by all that screaming, I'd say they're coming to your location right at this very minute._**

Gulping, the teenager looked towards the door, which rattled so violently, it was starting to gradually lose its hinges.

_Options?_

**_Run like hell._**

_Sounds like a plan. _

With that, just as the door was torn off and in came dozens of screaming Weepers, Bloodtail bolted towards the nearest door. Like beasts, the army of pale undead dove for the demon hunter in the adjacent room, who just barely managed to smash through the nearest window before the nearest one was about to claw him. Despite being many stories up, Bloodtail kept his cool and allowed himself to fall freely. He turned his head upwards, only to see the Weepers jump right out the very same window, while other levels he passed by had groupss of them smash through the glass panels, either falling as well or using their inhumanly mutated appendages to crawl down the walls. The numbers indeed ranged in the hundreds, making it look like an entire waterfall of grey monsters was coming down upon the streets.

_(Now Playing: Ultra, Artist: KMFDM)_

_Time to see if all those parkour lessons were worth it, _Bloodtail thought as he rotated himself in the air. Slamming his feet against the wall, he directed his demonic energy into them and pushed off, to two effects: a large red shockwave spread out of it, and he sailed across the entire street's width. The shockwave spread and dissipated, with all the glass and some of the bricks within its reaches shattering from the sheer kinetic force a split second later. Numerous Weepers were pushed off as well, but most jumped off in time to keep following the demon hunter.

The demon hunter smashed through another window from a building across from him, rolled to his feet and started running towards the other end, with some of the living corpses from the swarm already hot on his heels. Bloodtail jumped, rolled, and flipped his way over desks, chairs, and the occasional debris.

Two Weepers caught up and tried to leap-tackle him from both sides just as he was making his way towards another desk. He was quick to slide down, which left his enemies without a target except each other, and they collided mid-flight. Mid-slide, Bloodtail raised his foot and easily kicked through the rotted wooden panel panel below. Back on his feet and with both guns drawn, the mobian wasted no time in jumping onto an old platform truck, which thankfully had working wheels, ensuring that his momentum was put to good use in the escape effort.

_They're like a damn swarm!_ he thought as he kicked another Weeper in the face. As it flew, his eyes trailed off a weakened, loose pipe connected from the ceiling to the floor, and he reached out and grabbed it. Using the pipe as a fulcrum, he forced the platform truck to turn around and towards a set of double doors. Too frail to take the stress, the length of metal tore out from its place; in a heartbeat, the demon hunter was poised to use it as a quarterstaff, whacking three Weepers back with a single broad swipe.

Bloodtail held the pipe as a battering ram, smashing the double doors open with its tip, his unhindered trajectory leading him to a set of stairs that only went halfway down, the large gap below leading to another group of Weepers. Still keeping the length of metal held tight in both paws, Bloodtail went to the front of the truck and slammed it on the ground, pole-vaulting over the gap towards the wall, which yielded to a mighty kick. He landed on a roof of a nearby apartment complex after jumping through, and before he could take a minute to breathe, the screeches of the possessed corpses alerted him of the streets and other nearby buildings, all of which were also starting to crowd with the creatures.

"Goddamnit…" he muttered Bloodtail, blasting off into a sprint across the roof, the hordes of the Weepers getting closer as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop in chase.

No matter how many times he jumped across ledges and climbed up walls, there seemed to be no escape from the vast horde. _Any bright ideas?! _he mentally screeched to his demonic partner.

**_Thinking! I'm thinking! _**Sparda yelled back. **_Wait, wait, look to your left! That church over there!_**

Obeying his mentor, Bloodtail did so, and indeed, he could notice an ancient church with a bell tower. _What about it?!_

**_Just get your fuzzy ass over there! _**

With no other options available, Bloodtail jumped off the roof, aiming for another one when one of the Weepers managed to tackle him in midair. He kicked the monster in its stomach, and it staggered away, but already a small mob had surrounded him, clawing over each other to get a slice at their prey.

The crowd rose higher and wider with each passing second, the berserking undead mad to the point of fighting amongst themselves for a chance to reach the center, until suddenly, a bright red explosion scattered every single Weeper in the dogpile, the closest ones to the focal point getting dismembered, eviscerated or just plain evaporated by the kinetic blast. In the middle of the pile, a bleeding, heavily cut up Bloodtail stood up, oozing the remains of the demonic energy he had used up.

With the church only a block away, Bloodtail struggled to make a run for it, the rest of the horde soon gaining up on him. Just as he reached the gates, he tripped and landed on his stomach. The Weepers were only a few feet away and closing in.

**_THE BELL! HIT IT!_**

Fumbling with Ivory, Bloodtail closed his opposite eye for a better aim, and fired a single shot. The demon empowered bullet sailed through the openings of the gate and nailed the bell in the tower, causing an unbelievably loud ringing noise that was carried by the stagnant air in all directions. Along with that ringing was the sound of nearly a thousand screams of acute pain.

Bloodtail's jaw would have dropped if it could through its pain-induced clench as its owner saw each and every single one of the fearsome crowd holding their ears and staggering drunkenly. He took aim and fired at the bell again and again, each ring followed by more piecing screams.

The Weepers were unable to take any more of the noise, and began scattering. In less than ten seconds, the streets that had been crawling with undead were now devoid of any life except for one actual living being.

(End song)

Bloodtail sighed in relief, sleepy all of a sudden. _Ah… this must be... blood l-loss…._

His eyelids fell, and he blacked out.

* * *

"Hey! Hey! Doctor Yin! I think he's waking up!"

As he lifted his head, a mobian fox groaned against the pounding migraine wracking his neurons. He felt a pair of human hands help him sit up, and slowly, he opened his eyes, revealing four humans in white uniforms, three males and one female, all of them staring at him. Their uniforms, which had the logo of Takeda's company on it, looked more like rag patchworks from so many cuts and dirt stains. Three of them looked at him with concern and hope, while the last one, a bald African American, eyed him with distrust.

Upon viewing his surroundings, Bloodtail realized he was inside the church he had passed out in front of_. Place's certainly seen better days, _he thought idly when his eyes fell on the broken pews and windows.

As he got up, the one glaring at him reached for his gun and pulled it out. "Hold it right there, buddy! Don't make any sudden moves, or–"

"Settle down, Rex," the female, a Caucasian with long, black hair and a fierce gaze that reminded Bloodtail of a tiger, said evenly. "It's pretty obvious that he's part of the rescue team. And besides, what good do you think that popgun will do? He went from bacon strips to fully healed by himself, you saw it happen."

Rex shifted his eyes between both the girl and the mobian before hesitantly withdrawing his piece. She turned around and smiled at Bloodtail. "Sorry about that, Rex has been on edge since day one. I'm Jacqueline River, Jackie for short." She turned to and aged man of Chinese complexion. "This is Dr. Mao Yin..."

The man nodded. "Greetings."

"... Robert Dimeal..."

The white male saluted Bloodtail with a hand wave.

"... and you've already met Security Chief Rex Ryan," Jackie finished, pointing a thumb behind her.

Rex, for his part, just snorted and leaned further against the broken pew he stood next to.

Jackie cleared her throat. "So, are you part of the rescue team?"

Bloodtail stretched his back. A quick check of all part of his body only yielded a few scars. Those looked cool, he liked them. "I'm really just trying to get into the tournament your boss has in the brew stand. Jex said that, if I bring you and whatever you found with me and a couple of other guys, I'd be let in. So yeah, I supposed that counts."

The humans all looked at each other nervously in a silence that Doctor Yin broke with a sigh. "Unfortunately, we don't have the items we found. The other group we were with was carrying it when we spit up."

Bloodtail sighed himself. _Great. I knew this was too good to be true._

"So, what happens now? Do we leave?" asked Robert, smiling hopefully.

"Sorry, but not yet. I can't leave without the merchandise," Bloodtail popped his bubble, watching the rest of the science team deflate. "What the hell we're you guys doing in here anyway?"

Rex stepped forward, glaring at Bloodtail from behind crossed arms. "That information is restricted to anybody who's not part of the research team, merc. I suggest you stop asking pointless questions and figure out a plan to get us outta here alive already."

Bloodtail glared right back at the tough-guy, but shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever, not like it's my business anyway. So where can I find the other group?"

"Last time we saw them was before we spit up, a few streets down south of here," said Jackie as she walked towards one of the windows. She peeked through the broken glass and shook her head. "It doesn't look like it, but those demons are out there, waiting for you to come out so they can tear you to pieces. We had another guy with us... he thought it was safe to go out. It wasn't." Then, she pushed off the wall and turned around, making eye contact with the young hunter. "How did you get them to leave anyway? We all thought we were going to be overrun until you did that thing with the bell."

_I'm actually curious myself, _thought the mobian. _Yo! Sparda! What was up with the bell doodad?_

**_*Snoooreeeee...*_**

Bloodtail's right eye twitched. "Oh, for crying out…!"

"What?" asked a curious Jackie.

"Nothing, just a voice in my head that fell asleep…" he muttered. The way the humans raised their eyebrows and backed away quietly was lost on him as his mental eye focused inwards. _Oi! Mr. Demon Knight from Hell! Wake up!_

**_Wha...? Oh, you're awake… _**Sparda yawned. **_What do you want? I dreamed I was having a nice vacation on a hot beach with waitresses from Hooters serving me fries and wings, and you come waking me up... _**

_Mind explaining how shooting a bell managed to stop an army of possessed dead bodies?_

**_Oh, that, _**the dark knight said sagely.**_ Remember when I said that Weepers have extra acute senses? Well, here's the thing: the more accurate a measurement is, the easier it is to go off the scales. The sound of the bell wasn't too loud for a human or even a mobian with good ears, but to them, it's torture. I'm dead sure that the same would happen if you'd overloaded their sight or sense of smell. _**

_That makes sense... Appreciate the heads up. _His thanks said, Bloodtail turned his attention back towards the physical realm. "Alright, people, listen up. I need to know all you can tell me about this place and what you were researching –"

Rex made an effort to open his mouth.

"– provided it's not some unhelpful classified bullshit."

The three humans turned towards the scowling black man. "Fine, but only the lesser core details."

Jackie nodded. "This city used to be the old New York. There are lost treasures to be found here, even after the thousands of years it's been buried for. Normally, people just send search drones to scan the area for anything of value, but one of Mr. Takeda's managed to find something of really high scale... The thing was so powerful that the drone short circuited.

"A fifty-large group of us was sent down here to collect the item and bring it to Mr. Takeda. When we found it, that's when those demons started showing up," followed up Robert with a noticeable creep to his tone. "They came out of nowhere, slaughtered us like cattle. We barely managed to send the distress signal before we had to flee for our hides."

_Do Weepers normally behave like this? _Bloodtail asked Sparda.

**_Sometimes. Usually they stay dormant unless something wakes them up. Whatever it is that they uncovered, it must have unleashed enough demonic energy to awaken nearly every one of these guys in the city. _**

_Well, ain't that perfect, _the fox snarked. Making his way to the door, he sighed and turned around. "I'm going out to find the others. If any of those monsters come here, ring the bell. The noise causes them pain."

"I'm on it," called Robert as he headed to a nearby flight of stairs.

"There are also others beside me," Bloodtail continued. "Another mobian, a half-demon like me with a katana, and a_samogloth. If you see either of the first two, let them inside." His expression soured. "The last guy? I suggest leaving him alone."_

The three researchers shivered at that. Apparently they knew of samogloths, and the thought of such an abomination seeking them, even if it wasn't with hostile purposes, was disturbing enough. Bloodtail jotted that down on his mental agenda as his physical self opened the door.

He was about to step outside when Jackie tugged his shirt. She let go and gulped nervously. "Um... if you manage to find them, please bring them back safely. Some of them are good friends I've worked with for a long time…"

Giving her a smile and thumbs up, he nodded. "I'll bring them back safe and sound."

"Thank you." She walked away with hope in her eyes.

With everything said and done, Bloodtail opened the door and shut it as soon as he was through, finding himself back outside on the streets. Once again, they were devoid of any life, but now he knew that there was an army of revenants looking to tear him a new one. Turning south as he summoned his demonic energy for an extra boost in speed, Bloodtail set off, dust following in his wake.

"You were right," Domino said, watching the other mobian make his way down the road. He and Ren were looking down below from the top of a nearby building, their focus on the little demon hunter, who Domino admitted was quite the fighter: not only had he managed to escape certain death, but he also got his second wind quite quickly. "There is something interesting about him."

"At first, I thought he was nothing more than a simple child going in far over his head, but before I left, I sensed the sheer power in him," Ren explained, lazily clenching his katana. "No half-demon at that age has such power. Even I didn't."

"Is there a reason that you needed me to come with you?" asked the bull, growling with impatience.

"You were raised by shamans," answered the other, never taking his eyes off the retreating fox. "I heard that some shamans can use their powers and peer deep into the souls of individuals. Is that one of your abilities?"

"I am not as powerful as my teachers, nor do I possess much magic except for my axe," Domino pointed out. "But I do know the technique you speak of. Why?"

Ren smiled a predatory smile. "I want to know what I'm planning to fight against beforehand."


End file.
